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Parent Grandparent Program - PGP

A detailed guide to PGP. 

Parent and Grand Parent Program

Under the PGP - Parent and Grandparent program Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada

Glossary of terms used on this page.

What is the Parent and Grand Parent Sponsorship (PGP) Program?

Family reunification is one of the pillars of Canadian immigration. Under the PGP Program, Canadian citizens of Permanent Residents can sponsor their parents of grandparents for a Canadian permanent residence. Applicants approved under this program can then transition to apply for Canadian citizenship after fulfilling their permanent residency requirements.

Each year IRCC allocates a quota they aim to fill under this program. For 2020, the quota was set at 10000 applications. For 2021, the intake level is expected to be closed at 30000 applications.

 

Who can you sponsor under the Parent and Grand Parent Program?

  • You can sponsor your own parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption.

  • If your parents/grandparents are divorced or separated, you can them and their spouses, or conjugal or common-law partners.

  • You are only allowed to include additional applicants such as your brothers and sisters, or half brothers and sisters, if they qualify as dependent children.

  • If your sponsorship application includes more than 1 person or couple, you will need to provide proof of income/funds requirements for all the people you want sponsor and their dependents (spouse, partner and children).

    • Please note:

      • All Applicants included in your sponsorship application must meet the eligibility requirements.

 

What is the process to apply for sponsorship under the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP)?

 

This is a 2-step application:

  1. Application and approval of the sponsor

  2. Application and approval of the applicant(s).

 

You need to follow the following steps:

  1. Submit a interest to sponsor form. IRCC randomly selects candidates to apply to sponsor their parents or grandparents. Think of it more as a lottery system.

  2. Receive an invitation to apply. In 2020, IRCC sent ITA’s to 10000 potential sponsors.

  3. Prepare the application. This step comes into effect once you receive an ITA. After securing an ITA, you need to prepare your application package for submission.

  4. Pay the applicable fee. Depending on your situation, the following fees need to be paid:

    1. Application Processing fee – C$500.00

    2. Right to Permanent Residence – C$550.00

    3. Biometrics Fee (if applicable to you) – C$85.00

    4. Medical Exam – As applicable

    5. Police Certificate (PCC) – As applicable

  5. Application Submission – After you receive an ITA, you will have 60 days to submit your completed application.

  6. Additional information – If IRCC needs more information or further clarification, they will contact you or the same and you will need to provide the specified information.

 

Once IRCC approves your eligibility as a sponsor, they will then evaluate the applicant(s). If either of you are found ineligible, your application may be refused and a reason for refusal provided by the IRCC. Once your application package is received by an assessing officer, they will check for completeness of the package, appropriate fees paid, whether you were actually sent an ITA and you submitted the application before the deadline.

 

If for any of the above-mentioned reasons or others, the assessing officer is not satisfied, they will return it to you. But once they begin your application, they will share an application number and acknowledgment of receipt. This means that they have now begun the process of determining eligibility of the sponsor as well as the applicant(s).

How long does it take to process the Parent and Grand Parent Program (PGP) application?

The processing time varies between 20-24 months.

Who is eligible to sponsor a parent or grandparent?

 

As a sponsor, under this category, you can only sponsor your own parents or grand parents and need to meet the following eligibility criteria. As a sponsor you must:

  • Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or a registered Indian under the Canadian Indian Act;

  • Be 18 years of age or older;

  • Be able to provide sufficient proof that you reside/live in Canada;

  • Provide sufficient proof of funds to support the persons you want to sponsor.

  • Sign an undertaking to financially support the sponsored for 20 years (starting when they become permanent residents); and

  • to repay any social assistance benefits paid to the sponsored family members (if applicable) for a period of 20 years.

 

Refer to the LICO table below to ascertain proof of funds requirement.

Who is not eligible sponsor a parent or grandparent?

You are not eligible to sponsor your parents and grandparents if: 

  • you are below the age of 18 years old

  • you are not able to convince the assessing officer that you intend to live in Canada when you apply to sponsor your parents and grandparents and/or when your parents and grandparents become permanent residents

    • Your primary residential address must be in Canada when you submit your application and until a decision on your application is made.

  • you are not a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act

  • you are in Canada as a temporary resident (visitor, student or work permit holder in Canada)

  • your permanent residence application is still in process

    • You must have permanent resident status at the time you submit your sponsorship application.

  • your proof of income shows you don’t have enough money to support the persons you want to sponsor

 

You may not be eligible to sponsor your parents and grandparents if you:

  • are in jail, prison, or penitentiary

  • didn’t pay back:

    • an immigration loan

    • a performance bond

    • court-ordered family support payments such as alimony or child support 

  • didn’t give the financial support you agreed to when you signed a sponsorship agreement to sponsor someone else in the past

  • declared bankruptcy and are not discharged 

  • receive social assistance for a reason other than a disability

  • were convicted of a violent criminal offence, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence inside or outside Canada

  • can’t legally stay in Canada and must leave the country because you received a Removal Order

LICO for Parents and GrandParents Sponsorship - Immergity Immigration Consultant.jpg

On what grounds can my sponsorship application be refused or rejected?

All applications are based on the information you provided to the IRCC. The onus of proof of authenticity always lies on the applicant. If the immigration officer believes that you have provided incorrect information or have not submitted enough proof to verify your claims, they may ask for addition clarification or reject your application.

Here are some of the common reasons that your application might be rejected for:

  1. INELIGIBILITY 

If you do not meet the basic requirements of the program or category you applied for, your application may be denied.

 

 2. MISREPRESENTATION

This is considered a very serious offence with the IRCC. If an applicant is found misrepresenting on their application to immigrate to Canada, they can be deemed inadmissible to Canada. Common examples of misrepresentation are: 

  • Fake documentation - Education, work experience or any other illegitimate documents.

  • Inadmissibility of family members - If 1 or more of your family members are inadmissible to Canada, then you may be charged with misrepresentation and inadmissible.

  •  Marriage of Convenience - Fake marriages just to for Canadian immigration or failure to declare information about your spouse - like divorce, separation or custody of children etc.

 

 3. MEDICAL GROUNDS

Canada's health care system is considered one of the best in the world. And it is paid for by the government. Therefore, if during your medical exams, it is ascertained that your medical condition:

  • is going to affect the overall health of the Canadian citizens OR 

  • result in an excessive demand on the Canadian health care and social services.

 

 4. CRIMINALITY

This is self-explanatory. If you or any other member of your application or family has a criminal background for  which you have not already finished rehabilitation, your application will be denied. Every applicant has to submit a clean criminal record certificate for every country they have lived in for over 6 months since the day they turned 18. 

 

 5. FINANCIAL REASONS

As part of the Visa application process for Canada, every applicant needs to submit proof of financial capability. Failure to do so will result in your application being refused. You need to show that you will be able to support all accompanying or non-accompanying family members as part of your immigration application.

 

 6. INCOMPLETE or INCORRECT DOCUMENTATION

Most applications for Canadian immigration are electronic, yet there are some that are paper based as well. If you are unable to provide the correct documents, complete documents or provide all documents in the time-frame specified, your application may be refused. It is advisable to include all documents provided in the document checklist for every application.

 

 7. TIMELINES

The Canadian immigration department receives thousands of applications for every program. In order to maintain efficiency in evaluation and outcome, it is important that applicants abide by the time lines provided in the application package. Failure to do so will result in delays of refusal. The best practice is to keep all your documents ready before you apply and submit your application for immigration to Canada.

How Can I Avoid a Canadian Immigration Refusal?

Refusal or denial can be painful and stressful. Most people think that they know what they're doing and will do it right. Not all of them can actually claim that they will not make a mistake. Immigration applications to Canada are a 1-time opportunity. A mistake can lead to irreparable damage to your profile. Therefore, you may want to consider hiring a professional immigration consultant who has the knowledge and expertise in matters of Canadian immigration laws. 

Contact us now to connect with our Regulated Canadian  Immigration Consultant (RCIC) now.

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